Last chance to have your say on the blueprint for Burnley

Susan Plunkett

The final consultation for the blueprint that will shape the future of Burnley will be held on Monday (August 22nd).

Residents can view the plans and locations for the borough’s proposed 2,700 new homes at Burnley Town Hall between 2pm and 7pm and the final date for objections to be submitted is next Friday (August 26th).

Unveiled last month the phase two of the Burnley Local Plan has identified 34 sites across the borough - a mix of brownfield and greenfield - to build the houses which include detached, semi-detached and sheltered housing.

Some of the most prominent brownfield sites include the former Baxi and Perseverance sites in Padiham,
Lambert Howarth in Finsley Gate and land at Burnley General Hospital. Greenfield sites, which attracted criticism from residents when they were first mooted, include Red Lees Road in Cliviger and land in Worsthorne.

When the first draft of the Local Plan was published in September, 2014, the Burnley Express revealed the anger of Worsthorne residents when a number of sites in the village were identified. However, land at Brownside Road and Butchers Farm in Worsthorne, originally earmarked for 64 and 130 houses respectively, has now been withdrawn due to unsuitability.

A site next to 250 Brownside Road has, though, been earmarked to build 18 “high quality” homes, while the former Heckenhurst Reservoir has been highlighted to site around 60 houses.

Neighbours living in the surrounding areas, including Smithyfield Avenue and Copperfield Avenue, are already hoping to stop the plans in their tracks as the area is a natural habitat for a multitude of wildlife including breeding lapwings which are on the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds endangered species list.

Objector Debbie Thompson said: “There is also a large bat population, osprey and wild deer in this area. We are also objecting to these homes on the grounds that several places on Brownside Road are one way traffic and already dangerous and an increase in the number of cars would make this worse. The avenues are double parked in many places already.”

Protestors are also worried that more homes would put added pressure on the infrastructure of the village which would not cope. Neighbours are also worried about the loss of light and privacy to current properties and they are calling for other areas sites in the town to be considered ahead of green field areas.

Mrs Thompson added: “We know that we don’t have the right to a view but we believe there are plenty of sites suitable in Burnley for development without encroaching on green land.
“We believe that by choosing areas like Worsthorne the council is looking for more income from higher bracket council tax properties.”

The issue has been highlighted on the Worsthorne Appreciation Society facebook page, which people are being invited to view and leave their comments and residents have also organised a leaflet drop in the area.

Mrs Thompson added: “A lot of people in Worsthorne were not aware of these plans and time is running out for them to make their objections known.”

At the other end of the town another group of residents are launching a series of objections against plans for a further 400 homes on two greenfield sites on New Road which is at the top of Manchester Road and Glen View Road, close to Burnlwy Golf Club.

A series of meetings have been held and campaigners have spent several weeks putting together a dossier of objections. A spokesman said: “In this area alone the impact on the ecology and infrastructure of these homes are allowed to go ahead will be devastating.

“But this will impact on everyone across the borough. Before 2,700 homes are allowed to be built Burnley residents need a cast iron guarantee in writing that there will be some investment in services to cater for the projected 15% rise in the population.”